You may write in 1st (“I”) or 3rd (“They/he/she”) person as long as your writing is PERSUASIVE.
HOOK
Startling Statement
All human being are capable of the most gruesome crimes imaginable. It is only because of the customs and controls of civilization that people do not become savages.
Thematic Statement
It is not the absence of fear that defines courage, but the ability of one to force onself to take action in spite of fear.
Embedded quote that relates to the topic of your paper
Nelson Mandela once gave an insightful speech where he explained that “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
Transition
This is a common misconception…
While that may be true….
Mandela accurately pointed out…
This applies to…..
(connect it to the topic of your paper)
Sentence stem: This connects to my paper because….
Ex.2 – If Johnny had just picked up his water bottle…
“YOU”
Do NOT address the reader
STAAR readers get really offended
Break this habit now. It is not appropriate in academic writing.
Practice…. Let’s just look at a prompt
The first two steps of the assignment provide information that may be helpful in understanding the prompt, but they are not the prompt. In fact, if you ignore these items, it will not affect your ability to write the essay.
It is the third step of the assignment that is your PROMPT. This is what you must respond to in your essay.
The final step reminds you of the essentials to include when writing the essay.
Practice Prompt
Read the following quotation:
“Authentic patriotism is not about you, what you believe or what you think is right…. Authentic patriotism is not an opinion. It’s an action.”
– Stephen Kiernan
Practice Prompt
Think carefully about the following statement:
“Some people define themselves by what they believe, while others allow their actions to speak for them.”
Practice Prompt
Write an essay stating your position on which is more important: what a person thinks or what a person does.
Be sure to:
State your position clearly.
Use appropriate organization.
Provide specific support for your argument.
Choose your words carefully.
Edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling.
Brainstorm
What is your position? Do actions speak louder than words?
What EVIDENCE can you use to support your position?
Think of your personal experiences, the news, current events, or history.
Use YOUR knowledge about YOUR life and YOUR experiences. Use YOUR knowledge about the world around you.
EXPLAIN your EVIDENCE CLEARLY SO YOU CAN BE UNDERSTOOD!
How can we improve this example?
For example, a people posted a lot of tweets about ebola, but some people actually went over there to help. Their actions actually did something. The other people didn’t really contribute to anything.
For example, during the Ebola epidemic, one doctor who travelled to Africa contracted Ebola as he cared for patients during their last few (contagious) days. He returned to America, received treatment, and as soon as he was well enough, he returned to Africa to continue the fight against this infectious disease. This doctor did not have to be in the spotlight to be a hero because….
Recommended Format
The 26-line essay is a shortened version of what you’ve ALREADY DONE before!
